Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-10-01
HIS LITTLE GAME,
And How He Played H.
BY ALEX DUKE BAILE.


an inquiring turn of mind, and a quiet,
humorous way Of taking the world, its
blessings and ills, that often developed
into direct originality of thought, word,
and deed.
an sweet content my days are spent, "
was the inaudible MARBLE Of Richard
heart during thirty-five years Of single
blessedness. He enjoyed, but never
abused, the good things of this earth,
skinned around all the "isms" and
"Ologies" as they bobbed up on the sur
face, helped his friends, and was happy.
One summer he went into a neigh
boring State to hunt butterflies, grubs,
and "sich." He found board IN large
farmhouse with two orphan stepsisters
who, with plenty of money and much
real-estate, still resided In the old
homestead. There was one of his en-
tertainers a very "old-maid," with all
that is implied by that term In its most
offensive sense; the other was a young
maid, sweet as the butter she rounded
into pats with her dainty hands, trim
built. and good to look at as a new
trotting-buggy with vermilIion wheels,
pretty, and modest as a pansy flower
Dick neglected the winged beauties
he came to capture and devoted his en-
ergies to winning sweet Mary-Minnie,
and he succeeded in securing her true
young heart, much to the disgust of
Miss Catharine, or "Catty," as she was
called, affectionately by her sister, with
sarcastic emphasis on the @Cat" by all
others. For the antique and unique
maiden had made a dead set" at the
boarder, as she did at every other man,
the minute he had come in range.
The wedding went OF in due time
and style. After long tour the mar
ried lovers returned to their city home
and were as happy as two doves in one
nest. Dick settled down to catch up
with all the new "kinks" that had
broken out during his protracted
honeymoon, and the little wife some
times felt lonely in the big, strange city
house and missed the farm and Catty's
"bossing."
At last she proposed to Dick that her
half sister be invited to pay them a
visit.
Certainly, my darling, your sister
and all your friends sisters are well
come; invite whom you viii, said the
good husband.
Now Minnie, from lifelong associa-
ton, was blinded to the many unpleas-
ant pecuharities and cultivated imper-
fections Of her much elder sister.
Catty had brought her up by hand, "
(many said, more often by the ear,
from the time she was a wee toddler,
but the aAectionate, innocent nature OF
the child never detected the iron-hand
which so long ruled her.
Catty came with eagerness, also with
little box, big box, band-box, and
brOwn-paper bundle. Nature had been
lavish with its material in manufactur.
ing this spinster, but nature had been
more than careless IN distribution oi
her anatomical sections. She filled out
where she ought to have "give in, D
heightened where she should have
shortened up, iattened where she
ought to have rounded out, and was
dreadfully mixed in general She was
50 ugly that passers-by. catching sight
Of her, would clap their hands to then
eheeks-she gave them the face-ache.
Her voice was like a steam calliopt
with the bronchitis, and when she
tuned it in hymns OF praise" in church
and she always did it, too, at the high
est pitch, if she didn't raise the dead
she raised the profane ire of all within
the edifice. Her temper was uncertain
as the heels of an army mule, except
that it was certain not to be pleasant
more than two minutes in every sixty,
That's the kind of q fractional sister.
in-law Dick Thornton had to do the
polite to, trot around with to all the
sights Of the city, introduce to hi.
friends. and be made a martyr of gen
orally He stood it like a little man
it pleased Minnie, who never noticed
Catty's unlikeness to others, and he
was willing to submit to anything fol
his wife's sake. Nevertheless he was
delighted when the terror was forced
to return to the farm to see about get.
ting the crops In, for Catty was, /
nothing else very keen business wo
man.
When the crops were gathered ant
sold she came to pay Minnie another
VISIT stayed longer, and was more ugly
domineering, and offensive than before
Dick grinned and bore it. When she
at last departed he hoped she might
get married or die, OF anything-so be
should never see her again
But she came again and again
always remaining for longer periods
until Richard concluded that she would
soon make two visits year-and stay
six months each time. Then he, in 4
mild way, "kicked" to gently i'm.
press upon his AIinnie's mind that Catty
was neither ornamental or pleasant
that he could bear with happiness her
continual absence. To his surprise he
found the little woman, In this one
matter, had a viii Of her own; she
talked Of her many obligations to her
sister, Of the gross ingratitude Of neg
lecting her, etc, etc. and tear from
her bright eyes flooded away all Dicks
objections at once.
Don't cry, dear, don't cry. Let her
come and live here foreyer,-and be
blessed-to her, the latter benedic-